The Lost Heir
by Hayley Barbossa
Summary: An old secret from Uther's past sparks a race to find a lost heir. But no one said finding the heir would be easy. Secrets and lies spin webs of deceit over Camelot and Merlin is forced to make a choice that could change Camelot's future forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Lost Heir

**Summary: **An old secret from Uther's past sparks a race to find a lost heir. But no one said finding the heir would be easy. Secrets and lies spin webs of deceit over Camelot and Merlin is forced to make a choice that could change Camelot's future forever.

**Rating:** T

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>The sound of screams filled the air as hundreds of men thundered into the city. Women shrieked as the armed men broke into their homes and ravaged the place. The men who tried resisting them were struck down and left to die. At the front of this group of ruthless men was their leader, Cenred.<p>

It had been years since Cenred set foot in Mora. The last time he was here did not end well. He had been forbidden from ever setting foot in Mora after being accused of doing a terrible deed. Robert never even gave him a chance to explain and banished him without a second thought.

"Leave no house unsearched." Cenred ordered his men. They nodded obediently and rode off into the city. Cenred rode on, his eyes set on the tall castle looming over him. As he approached the castle gate, he saw a hooded figure standing near the gates. He got off his horse and walked towards the figure.

"Lord Cenred." The figure said as she took off her hood. Cenred nodded curtly towards her.

"Malena, I trust you held your part of the bargain?" He asked. Malena nodded and stepped aside so that Cenred could see the bodies of the knights and guards on the ground.

"I'm impressed. I wasn't sure if you could handle all those men." Cenred said. Malena bowed and looked at the castle.

"It's the least I could do after that coward killed my sister." Malena hissed furiously. Cenred smirked.

"Just wait, we'll get our revenge soon." Cenred said. He strolled through the courtyard and opened the castle doors. Malena followed him, casting glances at the bodies of the men she incapacitated.

As they threw the doors of the throne room open, Cenred spread out his arms and smiled at the man standing in front of the throne.

"Robert, it has been years." Cenred greeted. Robert took out his sword and glared angrily at Cenred.

"Why are you doing this, Cenred? I've spared your life before, you owe me." He said furiously. Cenred laughed.

"You were foolish, Robert. You couldn't see the lies that were being told right under your nose. You believed him without letting me say a word." Cenred seethed. Robert stepped back as Cenred advanced.

"You always were weak, Robert." Cenred said as he took out his own sword. Robert roared and swung his sword downwards at Cenred. Cenred dodged and kicked Robert in the stomach. The king doubled over and fell on the floor. Cenred walked towards him and rested his foot against Robert's ribcage.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You've let yourself go Robert. You've become so weak." Cenred hissed. Robert winced as Cenred pressed his foot down harder.

"Please, stop." Robert said weakly. Cenred looked down at Robert but kept his foot on him.

"You need to know the truth Robert. All these years, you've hidden away secrets from your family. Or should I say, what's _left_ of your family." Cenred said. Robert looked stunned.

"I-I don't know what you mean." Robert said back. Cenred gave him a scorned look.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten what you did to your own daughter." Cenred said. He smirked as he saw Robert's guilty expression.

"I had no choice." Robert whispered sadly. "If she had lived, she would've…" He trailed off, not wanting to continue. Cenred looked down at the broken man who betrayed him.

"You had a choice, Robert. You could've stood up to Uther and let your daughter live." Cenred said coldly. "You tore apart your own family with your own cowardice. And I've come to take my revenge. Do you remember your loving wife's sister?" Cenred said as Malena approached Robert.

"Malena," Robert said in shock. "You helped him?" Malena laughed.

"My sister died because of you. I watched her die in front of me. You never did find out exactly what happened that night, did you?" She said menacingly. Robert looked terrified and shook his head.

"I was arrested that night because of you." Malena spat. "All because I had magic. You sided with Uther Pendragon in the fight against magic and the whole time, you didn't even know your own wife had magic. She came down there to rescue all of us who had been arrested. She always put everyone else ahead of herself." Malena said with tears in her eyes. Cenred had released Robert and watched as Robert cowered in fear in front of Malena.

"When the guard came to stop her, she blasted him with some of her magic. She thought she was safe. She thought _we_ were safe." Malena said angrily. "But when her back was turned, the bastard took out his sword and stabbed her in the back." She choked. Robert swallowed.

"Malena, I'm so sorry." He said, trying to appease her. Malena looked at him with so much fury, he could feel the castle literally shaking.

"NO! I could never forgive you for what you've done. You killed my sister and your only daughter. Did you think that you could get away with all that?" Malena said angrily. With a flash of her eyes, Robert was lifted up and thrown across the room like a rag doll. He landed with a thud near the door and Cenred and Malena made their way towards him.

"There really is only one person to blame for your actions, Robert. You let yourself get influenced by Uther and that was your biggest mistake. Mora belongs to me now. With no heir, the kingdom is as good as mine." Cenred said triumphantly. Robert coughed and shook his head.

"You cannot sit on the throne, Cenred. Only a Beaumont can sit on the throne." Cenred pressed the point of his sword against Robert's chest.

"You can't stop me from taking it. No one can." He said. Robert gave a weak laugh.

"The throne itself has powers you will never understand. Only a Beaumont can wield its powers." Cenred gave a roar of fury and pushed his sword down. Robert's eyes bulged as he felt his life slipping away from him. He looked down at the wound in his chest and gave one last dying breath.

"You'll never find her." He said. He looked at the ceiling and moved no more. Cenred laughed triumphantly.

"After all these years, Robert has finally paid for what he has done." He said as he strolled towards the throne. Malena followed him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"My Lord, do you remember our deal?" She asked. Cenred nodded.

"Mora is yours. I only came to _relieve_ Robert of his duties." He said. Malena smiled gratefully at Cenred and moved to sit on the throne.

"Wh-What is this?" She gasped. The throne started glowing brightly and Malena could feel it heating up. Cenred could barely see with all the light but he heard Malena scream.

"What's happening?" He shouted. The throne finally stopped glowing and Cenred could see that Malena had been thrown off the throne. He rushed to her side and helped her up.

"Robert was right. There's a spell on this throne that prevents anyone but a Beaumont from sitting on it. I've never felt such power before. This throne could destroy a thousand kingdoms in one go." Malena said in an almost reverent voice. Cenred looked at her in disbelief.

"Do you mean to tell me that we have a great power in our hands but the only one who can use it has died?" He said. "What use is this power if we cannot use it!" Malena held up a hand.

"Do you remember what Robert said before he died?" Cenred looked confusedly at her.

"No, what did he say?" Malena looked at the body of Robert lying a few feet from them.

"He said, 'You'll never find her.' Do you know what this means?" She said. Realization dawned on Cenred's face and he nodded.

"She's still alive. Robert's daughter is still alive and hidden somewhere. If we can find her, we can become rulers of all the kingdoms in Albion." Malena looked thoughtful for a second.

"But we need to find her quickly. If anyone else hears of this, we will have much trouble getting our hands on her. And there's also the question of whether or not she's still alive." Malena said solemnly. Cenred heard little of what she said and dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"Once we get our hands on her, the first thing I'm going to do is take Camelot away from Uther Pendragon." He vowed. Malena walked to his side and together, they stared out at the city and started plotting their plan to find the lost heir of Mora.

But they didn't know they were being watched. Hiding in a false wall behind the throne was a servant girl. She had been with King Robert during the time of the attack and he told her to hide behind the wall. Terrified, she had watched Cenred kill Robert and also saw the magic throne.

After Cenred and Malena left the room, the servant girl left her hiding place and hurried over to the King's dead body. She looked down at it and took off her own cloak to cover his body.

"I'm so sorry, sire." She whispered, tears trickling down her face. She wiped them away hastily and made up her mind to leave Mora and warn Uther about Cenred's plot.

As she snuck out of the castle and headed towards the stables she saw a lone guard standing by the horses. She looked around for a weapon and her gaze landed on a magnificently carved bow lying on the ground. She picked it up and lined up her shot carefully before releasing the arrow.

To her surprise, the arrow lodged itself in the man's chest, sending him to the ground. It had been a while since she had handled a weapon and now, her old self was kicking in. She ran to the man and disarmed him, taking his sword and knife and tucking it away on the small bag she managed to grab. She saddled one of the horses and rode off into the night silently.

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><p><strong>AN: **Please tell me what you think of my story! Reviews = happy authors :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews and for those who faved this story! It really means a lot to me. I'll be back at school next Monday so the updates might take a little longer. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p><strong> Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>Gwaine was bored. Arthur had sent him to the market to patrol but there was really nothing to do. He had walked at least ten times around the entire marketplace and his shift was still not finished. The only interesting thing so far was watching a thief getting put in the stocks as his punishment. Gwaine had even helped throw some tomatoes at him just to have a little fun.<p>

It wasn't until noon when Gwaine noticed something odd. A dark haired girl had arrived with a grey horse and she was asking people for directions. The charming villagers had ignored her and she was starting to look a little desperate for help. Gwaine decided to see what was up with this girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I heard you were looking for the castle?" He asked charmingly. The girl turned around and faced him. She had a pretty face but she looked extremely worn out. Her strange violet eyes lit up as she heard what he was asking.

"Yes, can you take me there?" She asked. Gwaine nodded and held out a hand.

"I'm Gwaine." He said. She looked at his hand and grasped it.

"I'm Myka." He smiled and led her out of the marketplace and towards the castle.

"So what brings you to Camelot?" He asked, trying to strike a conversation. She looked at him, determination flaring in her eyes.

"I wish to speak with King Uther. I have very important news for him." She said fiercely. Gwaine was stunned. He had never met such a determined and spirited woman like her.

"Right." He said awkwardly. As they arrived at the castle, Gwaine noticed the rest of the knights training in the courtyard and realized that his shift had ended a while ago. "Oh no," He groaned. Arthur noticed Gwaine and walked over to him and Myka.

"Where were you ten minutes ago?" Arthur demanded. Gwaine sighed.

"Calm down, Princess. I was just helping Myka get to the castle." He said cheerfully. Arthur glanced at Myka.

"What is your business here?" He asked. Myka looked at him.

"I wish to speak with King Uther. Can you take me to him, please?" She asked. Arthur was taken aback at how forward she was and sighed.

"You can't just come here and ask to speak with the king. He has many duties you know." Arthur said. Myka stepped forwards, her eyes flashing in anger.

"Listen, if I don't speak with King Uther now it might be too late!" She said angrily. Arthur could see the desperation in Myka's eyes and nodded faintly.

"Ok, I'll take you to him. Gwaine, you stay here." Arthur ordered. Gwaine looked like he was going to argue but Myka leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly.

"Thank you for helping me, Gwaine." She said shyly before running after Arthur. Gwaine couldn't stop a goofy smile forming on his face and didn't notice Percival jogging towards him.

"Why do you have that stupid smile on your face?" He asked. Gwaine shook his head and sighed.

"Never mind, let's just go." He said, still staring after Myka.

/

Arthur was puzzled. Myka seemed very _strange_. She was following him silently but her eyes kept darting about, as if watching out for someone or something.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Myka turned to look at him and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She said.

"Its just… I mean you… Er, forget it." He stammered. There was seriously something odd about her. He knocked on the double doors leading to the council room and entered. Uther was looking very intently over a map and looked up when Arthur came in.

"What is it, Arthur?" He demanded. Arthur gestured for Myka to step forwards.

"She says she's got something important to tell you." He said. Uther eyed Myka dubiously.

"Well, what is it?" He barked. Myka seemed unfazed by Uther's rough manner and stepped forwards.

"My Lord, I believe that Camelot is in danger. Cenred wishes to attack as soon as he has found the heir to Mora." She said, bowing. Uther froze.

"Mora?" Uther repeated. It's been years since he's made contact with Mora and Uther had no desire to come near that kingdom again. "Everybody out. Now!" He roared. Everyone left the room except Arthur. He was confused by his father's actions and wanted to know why he was acting like this.

"But father I-" Arthur started.

"Arthur, you need to leave." Uther said. Arthur wanted to argue but the look on Uther's face told him to do as he was told. He gave a nod to Myka and left the room. Myka was still standing where she was and she didn't seem scared or nervous by Uther's reaction to her words.

"How are you sure about this?" Uther asked Myka. Myka bowed once more.

"I was with King Robert when Mora was invaded. Cenred's men were too strong and they were headed for the castle. King Robert told me to hide behind a false wall. But he didn't get to the chance to hide himself." She said sadly. Uther listened to all this, shocked.

"Go on," He pressed. Myka looked as if she was going to cry. She sniffed and continued her story.

"There was a hole in the wall where I could watch what was happening. Cenred came in with this woman, I think her name was Malena." Uther sucked in a quick breath. _Malena? _He thought fearfully.

"Cenred started talking about something terrible that happened that made Robert exile him. He mentioned something about Queen Anna's death. Sire, he also mentioned your name a few times." Myka said hesitantly. Uther's head snapped up to look at her.

"Did he say anything else?" Uther demanded. Myka looked down.

"King Robert's final words were a warning to Cenred. He said that the throne's power could only be used by a Beaumont. Cenred didn't believe him, and to be honest, I didn't either. But when Malena sat on the throne, it started glowing and Malena got thrown off." Uther was stunned. A magical throne? Why didn't Robert tell him about this throne before?

"But then this means that Cenred cannot use the throne's power." Uther said, trying to reassure himself. Myka looked at Uther sadly.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. But I'm afraid Cenred is looking for a way to use the throne's power. He plans to find the lost heir, King Robert's daughter."

"That's impossible. She died when she was born. They cannot bring her back to life!" Uther thundered. Myka shrunk away from him.

"Sire, there were rumours that she didn't die. I heard it myself. Cenred wants to track down the lost heir so he can use the power of the throne. I came here to warn you about his plans. He wants to destroy Camelot." Myka finished. Uther slammed his hand down on the table.

"We must find this heir before Cenred does. We can keep her safe until we defeat Cenred." Uther decided. Myka nodded.

"I will leave now if you wish, my king. I know you will need to discuss this with your men." Uther looked at Myka and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It was very brave of you to come here. You will be rewarded." Uther promised her. Myka shook her head.

"I don't want a reward. I just want to be able to save Mora." She said. Uther looked at her and nodded.

"Very well. If you need anything, just ask. You are welcome to treat Arthur's man servant as your own and you will stay in the castle." Myka smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you, sire." She left the room quickly, leaving Uther to his troubled thoughts.

/

Arthur was furious at his father. He hated it when his father left him in the dark like that. He deserved to know what the fuss was about, he was going to be king after all.

"Princess, why do you look so down?" Gwaine said as he went to put his sword and shield away. Arthur glared at him.

"Oh, shut up Gwaine." He grumbled. Gwaine smirked.

"What did the king say about Myka?" He asked. Arthur looked at the ground bitterly.

"I don't know. Myka mentioned something about Mora and then father told everyone to get out. Including me." He said. Gwaine laughed.

"Oh, so that's why you're so angry." He said. Arthur shot him another glare.

"Of course, you wouldn't understand that Gwaine." Arthur said. Gwaine rolled his eyes and left. Arthur sighed and walked back to his room.

"Arthur! Arthur! Wait up!" Merlin shouted. Arthur groaned and turned.

"What do you want _Merlin_?" He asked, irritated. Merlin was panting, obviously out of breath.

"The King was looking for you. He wanted to talk about something." He said. Arthur felt a bit satisfied.

"Really? He wanted to talk to me?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded. Arthur smiled a bit.

"Thanks Merlin." He said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Arthur walked to the council room and entered hesitantly.

"Father?" He asked. Uther was sitting down, looking troubled. He smiled at Arthur when he walked in.

"Arthur, I wanted to talk to you about something. It seems that Cenred is trying to destroy Camelot once more. He's searching for the lost heir of Mora." Arthur was confused.

"Why would he want a person?" Arthur asked. Uther shook his head.

"The Beaumont throne holds immense power and only a Beaumont can use it. Cenred has killed the King and wants to use the power of the throne to take over. But he needs the heir. The heir to the throne supposedly died when she was born but it seems it's not true. This is why we need to find all we can about Robert's daughter and find her before Cenred does." Uther explained.

"But how do we find someone who supposedly disappeared?" Arthur asked. Uther looked frustrated.

"That's my problem. I don't know how we're going to find her but we have to. Otherwise Camelot is doomed." Arthur nodded and was about to leave when Uther called out to him.

"Arthur? Make sure Myka is comfortable. It took a lot of courage to travel all the way from Mora just to warn us. I want to be able to repay her for her bravery. She will be allowed to ask Merlin for help as well." Arthur saw the sincerity in his father's eyes and nodded.

"Yes father."

/

"Have you settled down alright?" Gwen asked as she helped Myka settle down in her room. Myka smiled at her.

"Yes, Gwen. I'm fine. You don't have to fuss so much." She said kindly. Gwen smiled back and gathered the old bed sheets.

"If you need anything just call, ok?" Myka nodded and watched Gwen leave the room. She walked over to the window and looked out at Camelot. It was very different from Mora. Camelot was a lot bigger and there were no beaches nearby. She sighed and sat back down on the bed.

"Excuse me, Myka? I've brought something for you, from Arthur." A muffled voice said from outside. Myka smoothed out her dress.

"Come in." She called. Merlin came in carrying a huge basket of fruits for her. He set it down on the table and looked around.

"Tell Arthur I said thank you. He doesn't need to do this though. I wanted no reward." She said humbly. Merlin found himself staring at Myka, feeling as if he knew her.

"I'm sorry, but where are you from?" Merlin asked suddenly. Myka looked surprised but smiled.

"I'm from originally from Ealdor." She said. Merlin felt stunned.

"Did you know many people there?" He asked. Myka looked thoughtful.

"Not really. I was alone a lot when I was younger. I used to get sick a lot as well. I only had one friend back then but I moved to Mora and I never saw him again." She said sadly. Merlin suddenly saw an image of a dark-haired girl sitting alone by a patch of flowers and a small black-haired boy sitting next to her making the flowers float.

"Was his name Merlin, by any chance?" Merlin asked, his heart thumping. Myka's eyes met his excitedly.

"Yes! Did you know him?" She asked hopefully. Merlin felt his heart flip.

"Myka, its me. I'm Merlin."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews! It really makes me happy to see that people like this story. So I started school again today and I'm hoping that they won't dump us with tons of homework on the first week because I'm planning to squeeze in another chapter this week before next tuesday. My updates will usually be on Tuesday (I can't promise anything) so please bear with the wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

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><p>Myka stared at Merlin hard and her eyes widened when she finally recognized him.<p>

"M-Merlin?" She exclaimed. Merlin nodded and she gave a shriek before jumping towards him and pulling him into a hug.

"I can't believe it! I never thought I'd see you again!" She said, her eyes sparkling. Merlin laughed.

"I thought that too! It's been so long." He said, looking at her up and down as well. Myka laughed as well.

"I didn't know you left Ealdor. Why did you leave?" She asked as they both sat down on the edge of her bed. Merlin sighed.

"I needed a change." He said simply. Myka nodded. The two chatted for quite a while. They both managed to catch each other up on what had been happening in their lives and Merlin was surprised to hear some of the things Myka talked about.

"You lived in the forest for a year?" He said, appalled. Myka nodded.

"Ella got poisoned by a spider when we were travelling to Mora after we left Ealdor. I couldn't do anything to help her." Myka said quietly. Merlin felt sorry for her and patted her arm awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry." He said. Myka shrugged.

"I was only nine when she died. I didn't know how to get back to Ealdor or how to get to Mora. So I tried surviving in the forest as best as I could. It was hard dodging all those bandits lurking around. I taught myself how to use the weapons I stumbled across." Merlin looked at her in shock. Back when they were kids, Myka was always sickly and weak. She always seemed so vulnerable but Merlin could see that she was no longer the child she was in Ealdor.

"How did you end up in Mora?" Merlin asked.

"I saw some knights in the forest and I asked them for help. I asked them if they could take me to Mora and it turned out that they were heading to Mora themselves. They took me to King Robert and when I told him my predicament, he took me in." She said.

Merlin listened to her story in awe. He could imagine Myka as a little girl trying to survive in the forest.

"I'm glad you're here though, Merlin. At least I know there's someone here in Camelot that I can trust." She said, smiling. Merlin smiled back.

"I'm glad you're here too, Myka. I missed you a lot when you left." He said. Myka sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I missed you too. I wish I'd found my way back to Ealdor instead of heading for Mora. I could've stayed with you and Hunith." She said wistfully.

Merlin was quiet for a while. Would things have been different if Myka didn't leave Ealdor? Would he have still gone to Camelot instead of staying in Ealdor? Questions spun around inside Merlin's head but he pushed them aside. He didn't want to dwell on too much on what could have been.

"Merlin? Does anyone here know about your um, magic?" She whispered the last word. Merlin shook his head.

"No. If Arthur or the king finds out I have magic I'll probably get executed." He said.

"It must be hard to keep it a secret." She said.

Merlin thought for a bit. "It's kind of hard. I only use it when I _have _to, I suppose." Myka smirked.

"Do you use it to do the chores Arthur gives you?" She said with a grin. Merlin laughed.

"Not always." He admitted. Myka laughed.

"I knew it." She said, grinning wider. Merlin's smile quickly faded when he heard Arthur shouting his name.

"MERLIN! WHERE ARE YOU?" Merlin groaned and stood up.

"I better go see what he wants." Merlin said apologetically. Myka stood up as well.

"Can I come with you? I have nothing to do here and I'd love to take a look around for a bit." She asked eagerly. Merlin looked at her and smiled.

"Come on, let's go see what Arthur wants." He said. Myka smiled back and followed him out of the room.

Myka and Merlin chatted happily on their way down to the grounds where Arthur and the knights were. Myka told Merlin all about Mora and he could see that she missed the place.

"Merlin! Get my sword and shield!" Arthur called as they approached. Myka raised an eyebrow as she one of the knights next to Arthur winked at her.

"Hello again, Myka!" The knight called, flashing her a grin. Myka recognized the voice and waved.

"Hi, Gwaine!" She said, smiling back. Merlin looked between her and Gwaine.

"You know Gwaine?" He asked, feeling surprised. Myka shrugged.

"He was the one who brought me to the castle." She said.

"Oh," Merlin said. Arthur marched up to them and was surprised to see Myka standing next to Merlin.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur demanded in a somewhat rude manner. Myka seemed not to have noticed Arthur's rudeness.

"I wanted to look around for a bit and Merlin said it was ok to come with him." She said. Arthur looked taken aback and shot Merlin a furious look before facing Myka again.

"Fine. You can stay. But you can join us if you want." He said jokingly. Myka seemed to have taken his words seriously because her eyes brightened excitedly.

"Really? I'd like that a lot. Thank you, sire!" She said exuberantly. The rest of the knights smirked at Arthur's dumbfounded expression.

"Right. Er, do you have anything other than a dress to change into? You can't fight wearing that." Arthur said, composing himself. Myka's face fell.

"This is all I have besides my nightgown." She said, looking down at her dress.

"You can just wear the nightgown." Gwaine offered. "Honestly, I wouldn't min-"

"Why don't I take her to Gwen and see if she can borrow anything?" Merlin said loudly, cutting Gwaine off abruptly. Myka smiled.

"Thanks, Merlin. I'll see you all later then." She said, waving goodbye to Arthur and the knights. Arthur shook his head as he watched Merlin and Myka leave.

"She is the strangest woman I have ever met."

/

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Merlin asked worriedly. They were at Gwen's house and she managed to find a pair of trousers to fit Myka.  
>"Of course!" Myka retorted. "Don't you think it'll be fun?"<p>

Fun? Merlin thought weakly. Gwen returned carrying other dresses for Myka.

"Here, you can borrow these. I know you didn't get to bring much with you." She said. Myka smiled at her and hugged her quickly.

"Thank you so much, Gwen. You are a good person. I hope we can be friends." She said, clearly pleased. Gwen looked a bit surprised by her words but smiled back.

"Of course." Myka and Gwen said their goodbyes and promised to see each other again. Merlin was watching this with a smile on his face. Myka gathered up her things and turned to Merlin.

"Will you lend me one of your shirts?" She asked. Merlin frowned.

"Didn't Gwen give you one?"

"She said they were dirty. Please, Merlin!" She pleaded. Merlin sighed.

"Fine." Myka smiled brilliantly at him.

"Thanks so much. I really owe you one."

"Just do me a favour. When you're out there with Arthur and the knights, try not to get yourself hurt, ok?" Myka looked at Merlin.

"I promise." She said.

A few minutes later, they headed back to the grounds where the knights were. Surprisingly, Myka didn't look odd wearing Merlin's shirt. The purple shirt along with the black trousers she borrowed looked fine. She was also wearing a pair of heeled boots she bought at the market on their way back to the castle.

"So, you're back." Arthur said as he made his way towards Merlin and Myka.

"Am I too late?" Myka asked worriedly. Arthur shook his head.

"We were just about to start practising our shots."

"Oh, I think I can handle that." She said confidently. Arthur merely raised an eyebrow and led her to where the bows were.

"Take your pick. We'll be waiting." Arthur said. He walked away and stood with the other knights who were watching Myka with great interest.

"She seems very... Free spirited." Percival decided. The others murmured their agreements.

"Gwaine, will you quit staring at her like that? Its rude." Arthur snapped. Gwaine shrugged.

"I was just looking at her clothes. Isn't that Merlin's shirt she's wearing?" He pointed out innocently. The other knights looked at her and gasped.

"It is!" Elyan said, shocked. Gwaine looked at them with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Could it be the reason they took so long to return was because th-"

"For crying out loud, Gwaine! Do you honestly think Merlin would do something like that? The only met today!" Arthur exclaimed. Gwaine shrugged.

"Looks like they know each other pretty well, if you ask me."

Merlin had walked to Myka's side and was talking to her. She had picked out a beautifully carved bow and was walking over to the knights.

"What were you all staring at?" Merlin asked suspiciously. Gwaine pretended not to have heard him.

"Lets get started then." He said clapping his hands. Myka watched as Arthur lined up his shot carefully before releasing the arrow. It whizzed through the air and landed on the corner of the target. Gwaine snorted.

"Is that the best you can do?" Arthur glared at him.

"I fight better with a sword." He said. Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Myka. Your turn." Arthur couldn't help but smirk when he saw Myka step up. There was no way she could do any better.

To everyone's utter surprise, Myka's arrow flew cleanly through the air and landed with a thud at the very centre of target.

"That was incredible, Myka!" Merlin exclaimed. She put the bow down and grinned sheepishly.

"I guess." She said modestly. Gwaine clapped her on the back.

"You just might be the best archer here." He complimented. Myka blushed.

"I don't think so." She said. Arthur was feeling a little jealous. He looked like an idiot next to Myka. He looked at his arrow wobbling slightly on the target and felt annoyed at Myka.

"Let's see how her good her sword skills are." Arthur challenged. Merlin looked at Arthur, astonished.

"Sire, she doesn't have any armour." He protested. Arthur sighed.

"We'll use the blunt weapons then. The most they can do is give her a nasty bruise." Myka put a reassuring hand on Merlin's arm.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Merlin watched her pick up a sword and head towards Arthur.

"Ready?" Arthur asked. Myka nodded and Arthur swung at her quickly with his sword. Myka dodged and thrust her sword forwards, almost hitting Arthur's chest. Gwaine whooped and Arthur glared at him.

"You're quite fast." He said to Myka as he blocked one of her hits. Myka kept slashing and charging until she tripped and fell on her back. Arthur stood over her and grinned triumphantly.

"Ha! I win!" He said, looking at the knights. Myka quickly picked up her sword and jabbed at the back of Arthur's knees. Arthur roared in pain and jumped back. Myka stood up and swung at his arm. Arthur didn't get the chance to defend himself and winced as the blunt blade left a throbbing bruise on his arm.

Arthur tried to reach for his sword but Myka quickly hit his arm and wacked his knees again, sending him to the ground. Arthur looked up and saw the point of Myka's sword in his face.

"Looks like I win again. Never take your eyes off your opponent unless you're sure they're out cold." She said breathlessly. She tucked her sword away and offered her hand out to Arthur. He sighed and took it. Myka helped him to his feet and he gave her a small smile.

"Not bad. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Myka grinned.

"I picked it up." She said. Merlin caught her eye and she winked. He figures she must have learned while she was surviving in the forest.

"Hmm." Arthur mused. "Maybe you can join us again tomorrow, if you want." Merlin looked at Myka who smiled.

"I'd like that." She said. Arthur smiled wider and clapped her on the shoulder.

"Next time, I won't hold back so you better be ready." He warned.

"Bring it, Pendragon." She said. Arthur was surprised at how she addressed him but didn't seem annoyed by it. He watched her leave and saw Merlin about to follow her.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" He barked. Merlin turned around and smiled sheepishly.

"Um, I was just going to make sure she's ok." He said. Arthur snorted.

"From the way she defeated me, I think she can take care of herself. And why are you so protective of her? She's not your sister or anything so let her have her space." Merlin realized Arthur was right. He had been worrying too much about Myka and forgot that she can defend herself very well. He didn't need to always watch out for her.

"Hello? Merlin? Aren't you going to go get dinner ready for me?" Arthur demanded.

"Oh? Uh yes, sire." Merlin said quickly before hurrying back to the castle.

Arthur walked back to the castle with the knights. They were all still talking about how Myka defeated Arthur.

"She's like some sort of warrior or something." Elyan said in wonder.

"A warrior princess." Gwaine supplied. The knights all agreed that Myka must have been a warrior princess in her past life and Arthur laughed at their musings.

"She's still the strangest person I've ever met."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thanks for the alerts guys! I love seeing you guys review my story so please just tell me what you think! Anyways, I've been hearing of a blog that is out to get Andrew Scott kicked off Sherlock. I honestly think she is getting herself into trouble with all those crazy Sherlockians and it angers me to see someone hating on this amazing actor. ENOUGH OF MY RANT! I hope you all enjoy! (Next update will be out on Wednesday or Tuesday)

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

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><p>It had been days since Cenred took over Mora. The people were terrified. They didn't know what to think about this intrusion and the fact that people were being summoned to the castle made things seem even darker for the people. Cenred had demanded that everyone who had worked at the castle should report to the castle or face dire consequences. The people didn't know what Cenred was up to and they were scared of what he might do if they didn't obey him.<p>

Cenred stood by the window, looking down at the mass of servants he had summoned. "Tell them I'll be out soon." He said to Malena. She bowed slightly and headed out of the room. He walked away from the window and walked out of the room and down the stairs until he reached the balcony overlooking the mass of people.

"I have gathered you all here today because I am looking for answers. Nineteen years ago, King Robert's daughter died the moment she came into this world. But I have reason to believe that this is not true." He said loudly. The people murmured amongst them, shocked at the news. "I believe that the baby was smuggled out of Mora and taken to another place for reasons that will be kept secret. I want all the people who served at the castle nineteen years ago to come forward." Cenred continued. There was a great stirring in the crowd and several older women and men stepped out of the crowd.

"Do any of you know anything about the birth of the princess?" Cenred barked. Most of them shook their heads but Cenred knew that one of them knew something. "Do not lie to me." He hissed menacingly. "I know that one of you know someone who must have been with the queen during the princess' birth."

There was a silence for a while and one of the women raised their hand shakily. "What's your name?" Cenred demanded. The woman flinched.

"Em-Emma, my lord." She stammered.

"Do you have anything to say? Anything useful?"

The woman swallowed and looked at Cenred fearfully. She could feel her fellow servants eyeing her angrily.

"There was someone who disappeared as well the day after the princess was born. One of the queen's handmaidens disappeared right after the princess was born." She said. Cenred took in this information. _Maybe she was the one who smuggled the princess out of the Mora._ He thought gleefully.

"You will be rewarded, Emma." He said carelessly. "But first, you must tell me the servant's name."

Emma swallowed. "I do not know the handmaiden's name, my lord. I only know where she lived because I was sent there by the king once to summon her to the castle." Cenred felt his blood boil at these words.

"What use is it to know where she lived if we do not know her name?" Cenred thundered. Malena rushed to Cenred's side and laid a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps there is still a way. She might have left something in her house that could lead us to where she went with the princess." Malena said quietly. Cenred calmed down and glared at Emma.

"You will take us there now." He ordered. "The rest of will stay here for further questioning." He turned and walked down the stairs and motioned for Emma to show them the way. Malena followed Cenred.

"H-here it is." Emma said Cenred looked at the shabby house and nodded at Malena to follow him. He opened the creaky door and stepped inside the house.

The house was musty and filthy, as if no one had stepped foot inside for years. There were still many things left behind by the old occupant and Cenred spotted some maps and papers lying on the ground. He dusted them off and looked at it hopefully.

To his fury, the map was just a map of Mora and was of no use to him. He threw it down angrily and faced Malena.

"I thought you said we'd find something." He growled. Malena sniffed.

"I said we would. Look at this." She said, holding out an old dress. Cenred couldn't see what was so important about this dress but Malena simply closed her eyes.

"I can use this dress to track down whoever owned it." Malena explained with her eyes still closed. Cenred was silent as he watched Malena concentrating. Her eyes flew open and Cenred was shocked to see it glowing gold. The dress levitated out of her hands and glowed as well. Malena gasped and her eyes turned back to normal, sending the dress to the ground.

"What did you see?" Cenred asked. Malena looked at him with solemn eyes.

"She's dead. Whoever owned this dress died. I couldn't see anything." She said quietly. Cenred slammed his fist on the table.

"Then that means the heir must have died as well." He said furiously. "Our plans are ruined." Malena hesitated.

"Maybe not. This morning, I came back to inspect the throne. I saw a cloak covering Richard and there was a hidden compartment in the wall behind the throne. My guess is that there was someone hiding in the compartment. Whoever it was saw what we did and fled after covering Robert with their cloak."

Cenred looked at her, appalled. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" He growled. Malena looked at him angrily.

"I only found out this morning." She said irritably.

"Do you think you can track the servant down? They could know something about the princess."

"Very well. I'll do my best."

A few minutes later, they arrived back at the castle. Malena lifted the cloak off Robert's body and showed it to Cenred.

"Whoever this servant is must be valued by the king. This cloak is exquisitely woven. Robert must have been fond of this servant." Malena noted. Cenred watched Malena close her eyes once more. The cloak floated in the air once more and Malena's eyes flashed gold. It was unnerving to see Malena smile while her eyes glowed golden and Cenred found himself taking a step away from her.

"I found her." She said once her eyes returned to normal. "But there is one problem. She took refuge in Camelot." Cenred grinned.

"All the better." He said as he walked out of the room.

Hours later, three of Cenred's best men arrived in Camelot with clear orders. They were to blend in and find the girl named Myka and bring her back to Mora. The four men separated and silently entered the city.

/

"So, where are we going?" Myka asked as she followed Gwaine into the city. Gwaine had borrowed her from Merlin claiming that he wanted to spend time with the warrior princess. Merlin looked confused as to why Gwaine called Myka a warrior princess but shrugged and let Gwaine take Myka.

"Don't do anything stupid, ok?" Merlin had asked. Gwaine dismissed him with a wave of his hand and dragged Myka off to the city.

"Here we are!" Gwaine said proudly. Myka looked at the building apprehensively.

"You brought me to the tavern." She said flatly. Gwaine nodded.

"Yup." He said happily. Myka looked at him and bit her lip.

"Its just… I've never been to a tavern before. I heard it could get pretty rowdy there." She said worriedly. Gwaine slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"You worry too much. As long as I'm here, you won't get hurt. I promise." He said. Myka looked hesitant but nodded.

"Ok. I'll give it a go." She said.

"That's the spirit!" Gwaine said. He led her inside the tavern and Myka winced as the noise hit her ears.

"I'll have two ales, please!" Gwaine shouted from across the room. The barmaid nodded and went to get their tankards. Myka followed Gwaine to one of the empty tables and sat down. "Thank you, darling." Gwaine winked as the barmaid set down their drinks. She rolled her eyes and walked off.

"Do you like drinking this stuff?" Myka asked as she eyed the ale wearily. Gwaine had already started drinking and paused as he noticed Myka's hesitation.

"Try it yourself and you'll find out." He said, pushing the tankard into Myka's hands. She lifted it to her lips, took a deep breath and tasted it.

To her surprise, she found herself downing the drink in one go. Gwaine watched in amazement as Myka slammed the tankard on the table and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"That was incredible!" Gwaine exclaimed. Myka blushed.

"I shouldn't have drunk so fast." She said, feeling a little light-headed already. Gwaine laughed.

"You'll get used to it. After a while, you'll be able to drink through maybe five tankards without getting dizzy." Myka smiled.

"I'll have another one then." She said. Gwaine ordered more ale and the two sat there for what seemed like hours, laughing and talking. Myka drank at least ten tankards, which seemed little compared to Gwaine's nineteen.

It was around midnight when the tavern started getting empty. Myka and Gwaine were the only people in the tavern besides three men who were sitting quietly in the corner. Gwaine was leaning against the wall and was smiling as he watched Myka chatter on about something.

"We should get back." Gwaine said. Myka was _very_ tipsy from all the ale but Gwaine was only feeling a little wobbly on his feet. Myka pouted.

"I don' wanna go back." She said, crossing her arms. Gwaine had to admit, he found this quite adorable. But he needed to make sure Myka got back safely. He owed it to Merlin. He could see how Merlin looked at Myka.

"We have to go back. If you come with me, I'll give you more ale." He said, attempting to bribe her. She shook her head crossly and stayed put.

"I don't wanna go!" She said loudly. Gwaine sighed.

"Ok, how about I buy you one last drink and you promise to come with me back to the castle?" He offered. Myka looked thoughtful and smiled.

"Alright!" She said happily. Gwaine rummaged through his pockets for money but was frustrated to find that he had none left. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Here, you look like you could use this." Gwaine turned around and found himself looking at one of the men sitting in the corner of the tavern. He was holding out two tankards to Gwaine who looked at it in surprise.

"Thank you." He said. The man merely smiled a little and walked back to his corner. Gwaine set the tankards down on the table and he and Myka lifted it up and toasted.

"Cheers!" She said. Gwaine and Myka quickly downed the ale down and wiped their mouths sloppily. Myka was smiling at Gwaine brilliantly before she suddenly frowned.

"I-I feel strange." She said faintly. Gwaine started feeling drowsy and tried to move towards Myka but found that he couldn't move his arms or legs. He felt his entire body getting paralyzed.

Myka's eyes started feeling heavy and she felt herself falling off her chair. She felt a pair of hands catch her head before she could get hurt.

"We wouldn't want to damage that pretty head of yours, now do we?" A man's voice sneered. Gwaine was slumped against the wall but he saw that the man who was holding Myka's head in his lap was the man who had given Gwaine the tankards.

"Leave her alone." He managed to spit out. The man laughed and motioned for the other two men to come near him. The two men picked up Myka's limp body and Gwaine was enraged to see them eyeing her appreciatively.

"Jay, are you sure this is the servant Cenred wanted us to bring back? She seems to pretty to be a servant." One of the men drawled. Jay smirked.

"Of course. There is no doubt about it. I've asked around and she is definitely the one." Jay said. He stepped closer to Gwaine and punched him hard in the stomach. "If you hadn't brought her here, I would never have found her. So I have you to thank for making this easy for us." Gwaine tried to stand up but Jay kicked him across the face. Gwaine found himself slipping in and out of consciousness.

"King Cenred will be pleased." Jay said as he took Myka from the other two. He looked down at her unconscious face and smirked. Gwaine watched helplessly as Myka was carried away by Cenred's men. Before they left, Jay turned back to face Gwaine.

"Just so you know, you might as well say goodbye to your pretty friend. Don't worry, we'll take good care of her." He said wickedly. Gwaine struggled to stay awake but the pain in his head too much to bear and he eventually succumbed to the drug.

/

"Gwaine! Gwaine, what happened?" A voice was demanding. Gwaine was being shaken roughly and when he finally came to, he saw Merlin looking at him worriedly.

"Where's Myka?" Merlin asked. Gwaine's head was still pounding but he remembered everything that had happened the night before.

"Merlin! They took her! Cenred's men! They drugged us both and they took her. I couldn't do anything, Merlin. I'm so sorry!" Gwaine said in anguish. Gwaine watched as Merlin's face morphed into a mask of rage. Merlin could feel his magic boiling in his rage but he quickly controlled himself.

"I'm going to find her." Merlin said coldly. Gwaine struggled to stand up.

"You can't be serious! Don't you remember how dangerous Cenred is?" Gwaine shouted. Merlin spun around to face him.

"I don't care! I've lost her once and I'm not going to let her go again. If you're not going to help me, then fine. But I'm going to do everything I can to save her." Merlin shouted back. Gwaine could see the worry in his eyes and rested his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"I'll help you. But you're going to need all the help you can get." He said. Merlin's expression softened and he gave a short nod.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I am so so so sorry for this extremely late update. I had a bit of trouble coming up with something for this chapter. I'm not very fond of this chapter because it is the shortest chapter I've written so far and because I feel kinda iffy about this. Sorry if its not as good as my previous chapters!

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

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><p>"<em>Merlin! Hurry up!" Myka laughed as Merlin struggled to keep up with her. The two of them were out in the forest picking berries for Gaius and Myka decided to race Merlin to the river. Merlin ran as fast as he could to keep up with her. <em>

"_Took you long enough!" Myka exclaimed when Merlin finally arrived at the river. Myka was sitting against a tree and her bare feet were touching the edge of the river. Merlin sat down beside her and grabbed the basket of berries they had picked together. He picked out a berry and popped it into his mouth._

"_Not my fault. You had a head start." He said. Myka laughed and rested her head against Merlin's left shoulder. Merlin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. _

"_Arthur's going to kill me, you know." He murmured. Myka snickered._

"_Does this have anything to do with the fact that you spent the day with me instead of doing chores?" She teased. Merlin laughed and kissed the top of her head._

"_Something like that, yes." _

Merlin's fists clenched tighter as he found himself thinking of that moment from days ago. He forced himself not to think about what could be happening to her at this point because he could lose control and do something he might regret.

"Merlin? I think we should ask Arthur for some help. We can't do this on our own." Gwaine suggested.

"You're right. We can't do this alone." They hurried up the castle stairs and skidded to a stop outside of Arthur's room. Merlin didn't even bother to knock and came barrelling into the room. Arthur looked up from the table and frowned.

"You do know you can _knock_ before entering someone's chambers, right Merlin?"

"Myka's been kidnapped by Cenred's men and we need your help to save her." Merlin said flatly. Arthur stood up and stared at Merlin in disbelief.

"How did this happen?" He demanded. Gwaine spoke up.

"Myka and I got drugged at the tavern and they took her. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought her there." He said solemnly.

"Its not your fault, Gwaine. It would've happened sooner or later." Merlin said, reassuring Gwaine. Arthur walked past Merlin and Gwaine and motioned for them to follow him.

"I'll inform father. Don't worry, Merlin. We'll find her." He said. Merlin and Gwaine followed Arthur towards Uther's chambers and waited as Arthur knocked.

"Come in." Uther's muffled voice called from the other side of the door. Arthur pushed the door open and entered. Uther saw Merlin and Gwaine come in as well and he frowned.

"What's going on?" He asked, eyeing Merlin and Gwaine wearily. Arthur cleared his throat loudly and stepped towards Uther.

"Myka was taken by Cenred's men. I fear that she may be in danger." Uther stiffened at the mention of Cenred.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Uther said coldly. Merlin looked furious and stepped forwards to protest but Gwaine held him back. Arthur looked stunned.

"Don't you care? She came all this way from Mora just to warn us about Cenred and this is how you repay her?" Arthur shouted. Uther stood up, his eyes flashing angrily.

"I don't like this any more than you do, Arthur. We can't send in men to-"

"Why? Because you're afraid to start a war with Cenred? Mora doesn't even belong to Cenred! Don't you want to help those people? Help Myka?" Uther was taken aback by Arthur's outburst but narrowed his eyes at him.

"You are forbidden from going to Mora. I don't want to hear anymore of this." Uther said, slamming his hand on the table. Arthur looked furious and stormed out of the room. Gwaine could see Merlin shaking in rage and quickly ushered him out of ther room before Merlin could say anything that would make Uther angrier.

"I can't believe he doesn't care." Arthur growled as they went back to his chambers.

"I'm still going to find her. If we waste anymore time here, it might be too late." Merlin said fiercely. He headed for the door but Arthur stopped him.

"I'm coming with you." Gwaine raised and eyebrow at that but said nothing. Merlin shook his head.

"You don't have to do this Arthur. You'll get in trouble."

"I know how much she means to you." Merlin looked at Arthur gratefully and Gwaine smiled a little. He clapped his hands.

"Alright! Let's get going then!" He said loudly. Merlin nodded and the three of them hurried down to the stables.

_Hang in there, Myka. We're coming._

/

Myka trembled from the cold. She could feel herself lying on the cool ground and she kept her eyes shut, scared of what she might see. She remembered a little bit of what had transpired the night before and shivered in fear.

"I know you're awake, sweetie." A familiar voice said in a sing song voice. Myka flinched and opened her eyes slowly. A man was sitting on a log across from her and he was grinning at her. It made her sick.

"What do you want with me?" She asked shakily. The man tutted and threw his knife on the ground. He stood up and crouched in front of Myka.

"I don't want anything from you. King Cenred wants something from you." He said, twisting a curl of her hair around his finger. Myka moved away from him and scooted as far away as she could. He laughed cruelly and stood up.

"Don't even think about escaping. If I see you trying anything funny, you'll regret it." He threatened. Myka closed her eyes and listened as he walked away, laughing. A tear trickled down her cheek as she tried not to think about what lay ahead for her.

"Here." Another voice said in a kinder tone. Myka opened her eyes and saw a different man kneeling next to her. He had sandy colored hair and warm brown eyes. He was holding out a bowl of food for her. He sensed her hesitance but gently pushed the bowl into her hands.

"Jay can be a bit... Brutal." He said carefully. Myka picked up the spoon and sipped some of the soup slowly. Warmth rushed through her body and she quickly ate up the rest of it while the man watched her. Once she had finished, she set it down on the ground.

"Thank you." She mumbled. The man picked the bowl off the ground and stood up.

"Owen. I'm Owen." He said quickly before walking away. Myka watched him leave and felt grateful that not all of the men here were as brutal as Jay.

Carefully, Myka looked around her. It was late in the afternoon already and the sky was beginning to darken. _How long have I been unconscious? _She wondered. She looked around and noticed that Jay, Owen and another man were standing with their backs to her on the other side of the fire they had set up.

Myka contemplated about escaping but shuddered as she remembered Jay's threat from earlier. She knew she had no choice but to try and escape so as quietly as she could, she stood up and started making her way towards the large tree behind her. Knowing that the skirt of her dress would rustle the leaves as she walked, she tore some of it off until the dress came up to her knees. She kept walking slowly until she was sure that they couldn't hear her anymore before running as fast as she could.

"Hey! Get back here!" She could hear Jay's frustrated voice as they ran after her. She ran on, ignoring the branches and thorns that scratched at her legs and arms. After a while, she could no longer hear them running. They were still walking around, trying to find her so Myka hid behind a bush.

"Come out and stop hiding." Jay sneered as they got closer to her hiding place. Myka walked backwards slowly and jumped as she collided with someone behind her.

"Gotcha." A deep voice growled in her ear. Myka screamed, and tried kicking away but the man behind her slapped her hard across the face.

Jay and Owen approached Myka as she struggled to get away from the man holding her. "What did I say about trying to escape?" Jay hissed dangerously. Myka's eyes darted to Owen but his eyes would not meet hers. Jay grabbed her by the hair and threw her onto the ground. Myka sceamed in pain as Jay kicked her repeatedly.

"St-Stop!" She cried out. Jay grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. Myka could barely stand up.

"I just hate it when someone disobeys me." He said. Myka spat at his face and he slapped her with the back of his hand. Myka could feel the ring he was wearing tear the skin on her cheek and she fell to the ground.

"Jay. Stop." Owen said quietly. Jay turned to look at Owen.

"What did you say?" He asked angrily. Owen looked boredly and Jay.

"King Cenred probably wants her _alive._" He pointed out. Jay glanced down at Myka's unmoving body.

"Fine. Carry her back to the camp and tie her up. I don't want her getting away again." Jay said as he walked away. "Come on, Mark." He called to man who caught Myka. Owen gently picked up Myka and almost flinched at the sight of her.

Myka's face was bloody and a nasty cut covered her left cheek. Her dress was torn in various places and her legs were beginning to bruise. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at Owen with unfocused eyes.

"I'm sorry." Owen said softly. Myka tried to give him a reassuring smile but soon lost consciousness. Owen carried her back silently and laid her down on the ground near the fire. Jay was watching carefully and Owen could feel his gaze burning into his back. He grabbed the rope and started tying Myka up, taking care not to jostle her. He stood up once he was finished and walked over to where Jay was sitting.

"Why are you hesitating? You've done this before." Jay asked quietly. Owen looked at the flickering flames. Cenred had called on him and Jay countless times to pursue women and men who had something Cenred wanted. He never hesitated to hit or attack any of them until now. Owen looked at Myka's unconscious figure and then back at the flames.

"I don't know."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hey guys! Again, I apologize for the last chapter. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that. This chapter has a lot of stuff going on so if any of it confuses you, please let me know. Reviews are HIGHLY appreciated so to **_Death Knight of Camelot_**, I just want to thank you for your review of the last chapter :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

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><p>It was tricky trying to sneak out of Camelot unnoticed. Uther had known that Arthur would try to help Merlin so he stationed guards at every possible exit. It had taken them quite a while to sneak out just before dinner so they ended up setting up camp in the forest once they had managed to escape from the castle.<p>

"How's Merlin doing?" Arthur said quietly as Gwaine sat down next to him. Gwaine glanced at Merlin who was busy making stew for them.

"I've never seen him like this before." Gwaine admitted. "He looks so lost."

"Is it true that Merlin and Myka knew each other before?"

"Back in Ealdor, yes. Apparently Myka left when she was nine and they haven't seen each other since."

"No wonder he's torn up about this." They stopped talking as soon as they noticed Merlin standing up. He held a bowl in each hand and he handed one to Gwaine and one to Arthur.

"Sorry if it's a bit bland. There was barely any salt left." He said. Arthur and Gwaine gave him a small smile and watched him sit down by himself near the horses. Merlin looked so sad and lonely and it made Arthur furious at whoever had taken Myka.

"We have to find Myka. I can't stand to see Merlin like this." Arthur whispered. Gwaine nodded in agreement.

"If we wake up early tomorrow, we might be able to make up time." Gwaine said. They quickly finished up their food and decided to wash their own dishes to give Merlin a break.

Once everything was put away, the three of them lay down to rest for the night. Gwaine's snores soon filled the air but Arthur couldn't sleep. He could hear Merlin tossing and turning near him.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, facing Merlin. Merlin turned over and faced Arthur.

"Yeah?" He said sullenly.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked quietly. Merlin shrugged nonchalantly but Arthur could see the worry in his eyes. "We'll find her. Don't worry."

"I know we will." Merlin replied. Arthur knew that Merlin didn't want to talk right now so he gave Merlin a small smile and turned his back on him. Merlin closed his eyes and the last thing he saw before falling asleep was Myka's smiling face.

/

"Wake up!" Jay said harshly as he shook Myka. She winced as she felt pain rush through her body. "We have to leave now. You'll be riding with me." He added, sneering at her. Myka swallowed loudly and looked down at her bound arms. She could barely sit up thanks to her broken ribs. How was she supposed to stay upright on a moving horse?

"If you don't hurry, Jay might get angry." Myka looked up and saw Owen approaching her. He helped her stand up and let her lean against him as they walked towards Jay and Mark.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Myka asked, keeping her voice down. Owen looked startled by her question and looked away.

"I'm tired of being the man everyone else wants me to be." He said simply. Myka frowned but before she could ask more, Jay took her and led her to his horse.

"No funny business." He warned as he untied her. Myka felt relieved that she wasn't tied up anymore. Jay got up on the horse and motioned for Owen to help Myka up. He stood behind her, placed his hands on her waist and effortlessly lifted her up behind Jay.

"What if I fall off?" She demanded. Jay looked back at her smirked.

"That's why you keep your arms around me, darling." Myka looked disgusted but knew she had no choice. If she didn't hold on to Jay, she'd fall off. Her ribs were still hurting her so she couldn't depend on herself to sit straight. Reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around Jay and leaned against his back.

"Owen, you're riding behind me. Mark, behind Owen. We have to reach Mora by nightfall." Jay barked. The two men nodded and followed Jay as he yanked the reigns and rode forwards. Myka sat silently behind Jay and occasionally held on tighter as the terrain got rockier.

Eventually, Myka ended up falling asleep during the journey. Owen was watching her carefully, making sure she didn't slip off. "It looks like we might have to stop for a while, Jay." Mark said gruffly. Myka opened her eyes and looked up at the grey clouds looming over their heads. Jay cursed loudly and stopped his horse.

"Where's the nearest village?" He demanded. Owen took out a map and looked at it closely.

"We've just passed the mountains of Isgard. The nearest village is on the outskirts of the forest of Balor. I believe it's called, Elmes." Owen said.

"The forest of Balor? We should get there by sundown. Come on, let's go." Jay said, yanking the reigns. Myka was slightly glad that they took no notice of her. She liked it better that way. Jay disgusted her and she hated how close she was to him.

"You repel me." She hissed into his ear. Jay laughed scornfully.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll put you out of your misery soon enough."

/

Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine packed up their things and set off on their search to find Myka. Gwaine was probably the only one to have gotten much sleep last night since Arthur and Merlin were tossing and turning, worried about certain things.

"Come on, we should hurry. If they set up camp, we might be able to find their campsite." Arthur said, riding ahead. Merlin and Gwaine followed him, keeping their eyes on the forest around them.

A little while later, Gwaine saw something pink fluttering near a log. "I think I found something!" He called. Merlin and Arthur turned their horses around while Gwaine got off his. He bent down and picked up the pink cloth.

"It looks like part of a dress." Arthur said, looking at it curiously. Gwaine looked closer and gasped.

"Myka was wearing a pink dress that night in the tavern! This is a piece of her dress!" Arthur and Gwaine looked at Merlin and saw him shaking in anger.

"If they've done anything to her, I'll kill them." He said in a low voice. Gwaine pocketed the piece of cloth and Arthur walked around, checking to see if there was anything else that might help them find Myka.

"There was a struggle here." Arthur noted. Gwaine and Merlin walked over to where Arthur was and saw multiple footprints in the ground. "This must have happened last night."

"That means we're getting closer!" Gwaine said brightly, trying to lighten Merlin's mood. Arthur was still looking around and noticed something else on the ground. He shot Gwaine a panicked look and motioned for him to come over. Merlin was busy with the horses and took no notice of them.

"Look, blood." Arthur said quietly. Gwaine looked down and saw splatters of blood on the ground. His fists clenched at the thought of those men hurting Myka.

"She'll be fine. She's a tough one." Gwaine reassured Arthur. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that though.

"We should get going. It's going to take a while to get through those mountains." Merlin said. Arthur and Gwaine composed themselves and followed Merlin, hoping that Myka was still ok.

/

Malena stood near the throne and eyed it curiously. The throne was made of solid gold and there were intricate etchings on the sides of it. Beautiful jewels and stones lined the base of the throne.

"All that power in a single chair." She breathed. She ran her fingers along the top of the throne and frowned as she noticed an empty space where a stone should be. She looked closer and found that a stone was indeed missing. She traced it suspiciously and stood up as she heard someone entering the room. She turned and saw Cenred coming in.

"Ah, Malena. I've been looking for you." Cenred said, smiling. Malena smiled back.

"Have you found anything else about this Myka?" She asked. Cenred smiled wider.

"Myka seems to be quite a favorite of Robert. He treats her better than the other servants apparently." He said. Malena paced around thoughtfully.

"She must know something." Malena mused. She faced Robert once more. "I'll be in the palace records room. I need to find more about this throne." She said, sweeping out of the room, leaving Cenred to stare at the magnificent throne.

A few minutes later, Malena found the book she was looking for. She flipped it open and coughed slightly at the dust that flew around. She scanned the page quickly, hoping to read more about the throne.

"The missing stone is a ruby." She said aloud as she saw a drawing of the throne. "The ruby is the main source of the throne's power. The throne simply prevented anyone other than a Beaumont to access the ruby's power." She slammed the book shut, carried it in her arms and ran off to tell Cenred about the ruby.

"Cenred, I found something." She said excitedly. Cenred looked up from what he was reading.

"What is it?" He asked. Malena opened the book to the page she read and placed it in front of Cenred triumphantly. After reading it quickly, he looked up. "This means we won't need the heir after all!"

"We still need to find that ruby." Malena said.

"I'll ask around. Check Robert's chambers and that Myka's chambers as well. He might have entrusted it to her."

/

"Looks like we made it just in time." Jay said, looking up at the sky. Rain was starting to pour down heavily and they managed to arrive in Elmes before the rain started. Myka shivered from the cold rain and yelped as Jay pulled her down from the horse harshly. She stumbled and fell against him, wincing as her broken ribs came into contact with Jay's armour.

"Listen up! We will stay in one of the inns until the rain stops. I don't want you looking like we're terrorizing you so you better go along with whatever I say. Got it?" Jay threatened. Myka nodded meekly and Jay smiled in satisfaction.

"Mark, tie the horses here." Once the horses were taken care of, the four of them entered the inn. A kind looking woman noticed them and hurried over to greet them. Jay, with Myka in tow, went up to her and smiled charmingly.

"Do you have any spare rooms?" He asked. The lady smiled and nodded.

"How many would be needing?" She asked.

"Two rooms. One for my two friends," He said gesturing to Mark and Owen. "And one for me and my wife." He said, smirking down at Myka. She looked shocked but remembered his threat.

"Er, yeah." She said quickly. Jay smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulder. She stiffened but didn't say a word. The inn lady seemed oblivious to all this and motioned for them to follow her upstairs.

"Here are your rooms." She said, gesturing to two doors across each other. Jay thanked her after she gave them the keys and watched her leave before facing the other three. Owen had already opened the door to one room and Mark opened the door to the other. One room had two single beds and the other room had only one bed. Jay smiled wickedly at Myka.

"Looks like we'll have to sh-"

"Mark and I will take this room." Owen said quickly. Jay spun around to face him and saw that he was talking about the room with one bed. Myka felt relief wash over her and shot Owen a grateful look.

"What are you playing at?" Jay growled. Owen shrugged and turned his back to Jay. Mark raised an eyebrow at Owen but followed him into the room. Myka flinched as Jay faced her, his face a mask of fury.

"Hmmph. I'll be out at the tavern so don't even think about escaping." Jay growled as he shoved Myka into their room. Myka fell on the floor and glared at Jay.

"You can't stop me from leaving this room." She said defiantly. Jay smirked.

"Can't I?" He sneered. He grabbed Myka by the arm and shoved her up against the wall. Myka froze as she felt a cold object pressing against her neck.

"I know Cenred wants you alive but there's nothing stopping me from destroying your pretty face." He hissed into her ear. Myka's vision blurred as her eyes filled with tears. Satisfied, Jay let Myka go and pushed her towards the bed. Myka closed her eyes and listened as Jay left the room. A click in the lock told her that she was locked in until Jay returned.

Myka pushed herself off the bed and looked around the room. There was a dirty mirror on one side of the room and there was only one window. She rushed to the window and tried to open it but found that it was locked. "Argh!" She screamed in frustration.

After hitting the window repeatedly, Myka gave up and sat back down on the bed. She looked up and saw her reflection in the mirror across her. Her face was covered in dirt and the cut on her cheek was still a bit raw. She held a hand up to her cheek and winced as the cut throbbed. She felt her ribs tentatively and was slightly relieved to find that it didn't hurt as much as before.

The rain was still pouring heavily and Myka couldn't tell if it was morning or the afternoon. She curled up on the musty bed and closed her eyes. She let her self cry until sleep washed over her once more.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I rather hated writing this chapter because I had to bash my OC around a little. Nothing too terrible I suppose but I just wanted to give a little heads up. And yeah, its _totally_ fine that you don't review -.-

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

* * *

><p>"Gwaine, are you sure there's a village nearby?" Merlin shouted over the pouring rain. They had just gotten through the mountains of Isgard and were now heading to the forest of Balor. It was late in the afternoon and it was already quite dark thanks to all the rain clouds.<p>

Gwaine nodded confidently. "I think it was called Emels or something like that." He shouted back. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You better hope that you're right. I don't want to waste any more time." Arthur yelled. He was getting frustrated. The rain had washed away and possible tracks left behind by Myka's captors and it was getting harder to see through all the rain.

It was almost nightfall by the time Merlin spotted something. "I see lights!" He exclaimed. Arthur and Gwaine squinted and saw a vague outline of houses in the distance.

"Good job, Gwaine." Arthur said, clapping Gwaine on the back as he passed him. As quickly as they could, the trio headed for the village and managed to arrive there just before the sky turned completely dark.

"I guess we'll have to stay the night here." Gwaine said, already inching his way slowly towards the tavern. Arthur looked around and saw an inn.

"We could stay there." He said, pointing to it. Merlin and Gwaine gathered their things and hurried to the inn, trying to avoid the rain.

They tied their horses outside the inn and entered. They were met with a rush of warmth as they entered and Gwaine sighed happily. "Its good to feel warm." He said, closing his eyes. A lady bustled up to them and looked at their wet and disheveled appearances.

"I'm guessing you need a place to stay tonight?" She smiled. Arthur nodded.

"Thank you very much." He said. The lady waved them over and they followed her up the stairs to the top floor of the house.

"I'm so sorry, only the attic is free." She said apologetically. Merlin smiled at her.

"Its alright. As long as we have a roof over our heads." He said. The lady patted him on the back and left the room. Gwaine dumped his things on one corner of the room and looked at around.

"At least we've got pillows." He said, eyeing the pile stacked near the door. Arthur took off his armour and headed for the door.

"I'll go ask around and see if anyone has seen Myka or the three men." He called over his shoulder.

"I'll stay here and watch our stuff." Gwaine said. He noticed Merlin sitting on the ground silently.

"We're close, I can feel it." He muttered to no one in particular. Gwaine went over to Merlin and sat next to him.

"I know. We'll find her."

/

The sound of thunder awoke Myka. She opened her eyes blearily and looked around the room. It was dark and the only source of light was the dim moon outside her window. The moonlight shone through the dark clouds surrounding it and Myka was annoyed to find that the rain hadn't stopped.

She looked around the room and noticed that Jay was passed out on the bed. She looked at him coldly and noticed something shiny near his head. Quietly, she tiptoed over to his bedside and squinted through the darkness.

"The keys!" She whispered to herself. Jay's hand was curled around it and Myka was wondering how she could take it without waking him up. Carefully, she twisted the key ring out of his hand.

"Mpf?" She froze and looked at Jay's face. He was still asleep. She let out a sigh and continued her work.

After what seemed like ages, she finally managed to pry the keys out of his hands. Her heart thudded quickly as she shakily placed the key in the door.

"Going somewhere?" Growled a voice from behind her. She spun around and came face to face with Jay. He stank of ale and he was glaring furiously at her. "Did you really think you could get away again?" He hissed. Myka trembled in fear. She had nowhere to run and she was backed against the door. She tried reaching for the door handle but Jay grabbed her wrist and twisted it.

"I won't go easy on you this time." He said reveling in the pain Myka was in. She screamed as he twisted her arm back cruelly and tears filled her eyes.

"You're a monster." She shouted. Jay grabbed her by the hair and threw her so hard against the door that it flew off its hinges and landed on the ground. Myka fell on top of the broken door roughly. She could feel the splinters digging into her skin.

"I don't care if Cenred wants you alive. You've caused too much trouble." He said. Myka could see the crazed look of fury in his eyes and she scrambled to get away. The door across them flew open to reveal a confused Owen.

"What the hell is going on?" He shouted. He broke off as he saw the broken door and Myka on the ground. He looked up at Jay, waiting for an explanation.

"Stay out of this Owen." Jay growled. Myka tried to stand but Jay slapped her hard across the face. Her eyes widened as she felt blood coming from the cut on her cheek.

"I hate you." She sobbed, holding a hand to her bloody face. Jay dragged her up to her feet by her hair and slammed her harshly against the wall. He took out a knife and press it against her other cheek.

"It's a shame to see this face go to waste." He sighed. Myka whimpered as she felt him trace her jaw with the blunt side of the knife. He looked into her eyes and grinned wickedly.

Without warning, he slashed the knife across Myka's left upper arm. Myka screamed as pain rocketed through her. She looked down at her arm and saw blood covering her. She fought the urge to vomit. Jay slammed her up against the wall once more.

"Say goodnight, bitch."

/

Gwaine and Merlin sat up with a start as they heard a crash coming from below them. "What was that?" Merlin asked, worried. Gwaine opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted with a bloodcurdling scream. They two of them quickly scrambled to their feet and grabbed their weapons. They jogged down the stairs and came to a halt as they took in the horrendous scene in front of them.

A girl was bleeding heavily on the ground and she was sobbing uncontrollably. A man stood over her, leering down as he came closer with a knife in his hand. Another man was standing in the doorway of one of the rooms and was watching silently.

"Leave her alone!" Merlin shouted. The girl turned her head towards Gwaine and Merlin, hiccupping as she tried to stop her tears.

"M-Merlin?" She gasped. Jay grinned psychotically and grabbed Myka by the arm and yanked her to her feet.

"Well, well, well. Remember me?" He said, talking to Gwaine. Gwaine shook in anger.

"What have you done with her?" He growled furiously. Myka looked broken and fear was so visible in her eyes.

"She needed to be punished." Jay said simply. He threw Myka to the ground harshly and smiled as he heard her head thump against the ground hard. Merlin leapt forwards and slashed blindly at Jay who stepped to the side easily.

"Is that all you've got?" He taunted. Gwaine growled and rushed towards him. His sword swung down towards Jay but was met halfway with the blade of Jay's knife. _He's quick. _Gwaine noted.

Merlin was kneeling by Myka and was cradling her head in his lap. He looked down at her face and carefully traced down the cut marring her cheek. A tear splashed against her face and he stood up, his eyes blazing. Gwaine had his back on Merlin so he didn't see the warlock raise his hand and glare at Jay.

"_Forp fleoge!_" Merlin hissed. Jay's eyes widened as he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold before he was thrown backwards and blacked out. Gwaine wasn't sure what had happened and figured that he must've hit Jay somehow.

He put his sword away and ran towards Merlin and Myka. "Are you alright?" He demanded. Merlin looked down at Myka again.

"Gwaine, we need to get her help." He choked out. Gwaine gingerly picked her up in his arms. He winced as he saw the cuts on her face and arm.

"I think we should get back to Camelot. Go and get Arthur." He said to Merlin. Merlin nodded and hurried down the stairs as Gwaine carried Myka down carefully. Neither of them noticed Owen and Mark lurking in one of the rooms, watching them. Owen had seen Merlin utter the spell that tossed Jay like a ragdoll across the hallway.

Owen walked to Jay's side and prodded him with the side of his foot. Jay grunted before opening his eyes wearily.

"Where is she?" He mumbled as he sat up. He rubbed the back of his head and grimaced as he felt lump forming where he hit his head. Owen snorted.

"They got away with her. Their headed back to Camelot." He said. Jay growled and got to his feet.

"Let's go after them. Now!" Owen stopped him.

"We should get back to Mora first. I think Cenred would be interested in what we have to tell him."

"We've got nothing to give him! The girl was rescued, the mission failed."

"Jay, you don't understand. What exactly happened when you got knocked out?" Owen asked with a smirk on his face. Jay frowned as he struggled to remember.

"That Gwaine must've hit me hard enough to knock me over?" He said, confused. Owen smirked wider.

"You got hit… By magic." He added.

"That's not possible." Jay said.

"Oh, its _very _possible. I saw the black haired one chant some kind of spell. His eyes flashed gold and you flew backwards." Owen said. Jay looked stunned but a mischievous smile slid onto his face.

"King Cenred will be pleased to hear this."

/

Arthur had been on his way to the market to ask around when he heard the commotion coming from the inn. He ran back and saw Merlin running towards him, a panicked expression on his face. "What happened?" Arthur demanded.

"We found Myka. She's in a lot of pain." Merlin said. Arthur could hear hysteria seeping into Merlin's voice. Arthur followed Merlin back to the inn and flinched as he saw Myka lying in Gwaine's arms.

"What did they do to her?" He said in horror. Merlin stroked Myka's face gently with the back of his hand before facing Arthur.

"They're going to pay for what they did." Merlin said in a low voice.

"We need to take care of Myka before we do anything else, Merlin." Gwaine reminded gently. "We can't travel while she's in this state."

"Is there anyone here who knows a physician?" Arthur asked loudly.

A few minutes later, Myka was laid down on a bed. The physician handed Merlin ointment to treat Myka's cuts and he dabbed at her arm and cheek as gently as possible. Gwaine and Arthur could see Merlin shaking in anger.

"As soon as she feels alright, we're leaving for Camelot." Arthur promised Merlin. He gave no response except for a slight nod of his head. Gwaine patted Merlin on the back and exited the room. Arthur followed suit, deciding to give Merlin some time alone with Myka.

Merlin held onto Myka's hand and he pressed his lips against it softly. He bowed his head and rested his forehead against Myka's unmoving shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek. This wasn't fair. Myka had already been taken away from him once and he didn't want it to happen again. Merlin remembered her as the vulnerable little girl from Ealdor. The girl he fell in love with.

"Merlin?" Myka whispered. Merlin's head shot up and he looked into Myka's eyes. He squeezed her hand gently and shuffled closer to her.

"How do you feel?" He asked anxiously. Myka tried to smile but winced in pain.

"I feel like I've been used as a practice dummy." She joked. Merlin laughed softly and kissed her forehead.

"Get some rest. You need it." He whispered. Myka smiled faintly before closing her eyes. Merlin sat there by her bedside and watched her throughout the night, never letting go of her hand.


End file.
